Evening of grace and tradition to commemorate India’s 75th Republic Day

On 24 January, the High Commission of India in Colombo organised a dance ensemble, ‘Sringar – Tapestry of Classical Indian Dance Forms’ to commemorate the 75th Republic Day of India falling on 26 January 2024.

The event was graced by Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, Indian diaspora, and other dignitaries. 

Sringar showcased all eight Indian classical dance forms. Four of these performances were led by a visiting Indian troupe nominated by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), including Odissi led by Namrata Mehta and her team Siddhi Waikar, Namaha Mazoomdar, Anuradha Sanghvi, Dhruvi Jaiin, Kathakali by Renjish Nair, Manipuri by Purbita Mukherjee, and Sattriya by Satabdi Borah. The other four were performed by Sri Lankan dance exponents, including Bharatanatyam by Dhanuka Dhakshith Samaraweera, Mohiniyattam by Nishali Silva, Kathak by Veronica Dassanayaka, and Kuchipudi by Thakshayini Kamalanathan. The dance recital was further adorned by young students of Hindu Ladies’ College, Colombo. This joint India-Sri Lanka performance embodied the richness of the cultural affinities between the two countries. 

In the next few days, the Indian dance troupe will travel around the country and stage performances at Kandy, Galle, Batticaloa and Jaffna.